Toolkit to help TfW reach out to communities

A new ‘Talking Transport’ toolkit has been launched today to help improve engagement between Transport for Wales and its local communities.

The toolkit will be used to facilitate conversations about transport in communities and is part of TfW’s wider remit to engage and gather views from stakeholders, as well as achieve its ambitious goals set by the Wellbeing of Future Generations Act.

Members of the public and TfW staff can become trained facilitators and gain experience on how to deliver Talking Transport workshops. The accessible toolkit has been designed for facilitators to follow and deliver with ease, by including all resources they might need.

Those interested in taking part in the workshops can discuss one of seven topics related to TfW’s goals; Sustainability, Safety, Equality Diversity and Inclusion, Marketing and Communication, Active Travel and Customer Experience.

Kelsey Barcenilla, Stakeholder Manager and co-lead of the project said: “We’re committed to engaging with members of the public and ensuring diverse voices of the communities we serve are heard. The toolkit will provide an alternative method of engagement compared to online surveys which typically engage with specific demographics.

“We want to consider the long-term ambitions of future generations and by upskilling members of the community in becoming facilitators and promoting the toolkit to grassroot community groups and schools, we hope it will provide a sense of community ownership, as well as a platform to create change within the transport sector.

“Our hope is the ideas developed by communities through the workshops will inform the future of transport in Wales.”

Having seven topic choices enables the facilitators and participants to choose one which has the most relevance to their community. The activities within the toolkit have been designed to encourage informal and in-depth conversation, with the evaluation then key to complete for TfW to gather the best insight into public and stakeholder wants and needs, before returning to let them know what we hope to do, change or implement to make their journey or experience better.

Pilot schemes of the toolkit have been delivered with protected characteristic groups and organisations such as Portuguese Group CLWP, Leonard Cheshire, South Denbighshire Community Partnership Lunch Club, Grange Pavilion and Gateway Students from Newtown College NPTC.

Elise Jackson, Community Engagement Officer and co-lead of the project said: “I have had the absolute pleasure of facilitation the first Talking Transport pilot workshops, and I have been astounded at the positive response we have received from those taking part. These workshops give us a unique opportunity to gain insight into people’s thoughts and feelings around transport. But more than that, they allow us to open the door to public transport and active travel to individuals that may not have ever considered this an option before.

“We’ll draw on the knowledge, skills and experiences of local community centres, schools, community led projects and groups representing protected characteristics, which will be key to our shared success.”

Transport for Wales will be holding two facilitator training events per year. If you have an interest in becoming a facilitator or taking part in a workshop, contact engagement@tfw.wales

You can find the Talking Transport Toolkit on our website Talking Transport | Transport for Wales (tfw.wales)

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